


Tested and Crowned

by DeiaMatias



Series: The Phoenix Rises [3]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Body Horror, Demons, F/M, Identity Reveal, Original Mythology, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:16:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25634176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeiaMatias/pseuds/DeiaMatias
Summary: Chloe, the newly created Angel of Justice, returns to Hell with Lucifer to prevent a demon rebellion. Meanwhile, on Earth, their friends face the fallout of their choices. Changes in Hell begin to affect Heaven, and Chloe and Lucifer work to repair both their relationship with each other and their own emotional trauma.Takes place immediately after "Shattered and Rebuilt." A brief summary of the previous two installments is in the first chapter. Updates weekly.
Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Series: The Phoenix Rises [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741381
Comments: 200
Kudos: 211





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back! I'm back to working full time, and I'm homeschooling my kids, so I'm a bit busy right now. Alas, no bi-weekly updates for this tale like there was for the last installment. Updates will be on Monday or Tuesday each week. 
> 
> Chapter One of this story is a bit different in tone than the rest of the tale. We will return to the Devil and the Detective in Chapter Two.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy the ride!

Human beings wrote a book. They claimed it was the word of God, but an entire host of angels and even God himself would tell you that most of it bears only a passing resemblance to the truth.

But even God himself didn’t know how wrong it was.

The first line of the Bible states that "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.

The first line of the Bible was wrong.

In the beginning, there were three siblings. But, well, even that isn’t true. There was no beginning for the siblings. The three siblings always were and always will be.

The First of the siblings was a male. He was steadfast, proud and aloof.

The Second was a female. She was the peacemaker of the trio. 

The Third was another female. She was the passionate one.

There was no time for the siblings, no shape for them either. They carried no names. They simply existed.

Their existence was no Eden, though. The First thought that he was above his sisters. While the Second always wanted peace, the Third wouldn’t put up with his shit. This caused endless arguments between the siblings. Eventually, the Second came to the Third with an idea. The Third adored her sister and wanted her to be happy, so together, they presented the plan to the First. Their plan? Create proxies. Those proxies would handle the squabbling so that the Second could get some peace and quiet.

The siblings all took a piece of themselves and made two beings. The male was mostly of the First, but the Second thought that he should be tempered and she added a bit of herself to the mix. The female was mostly of the Third, but the First really didn’t want a carbon copy of his vexing sister around at all times, so he put a bit of himself in her as well. The male called himself God, and the female called herself Goddess. The Third found these names rather pretentious.

God and Goddess knew of the siblings' existence, of course, because the siblings were all that there was or ever would be. The First favored God, of course, and gave him the ability to shape him as God saw fit and the First became a realm. God called the realm Heaven, and declared Heaven to be good. 

Goddess chose to remain with God in Heaven. The Third found this somewhat vexing, but realized that they were the only two of their kind. It made sense for them to coexist. Honestly, the Third didn’t mind that much. It gave her and the Second some peace without Heaven coming around and lording over them.

Heaven missed picking on his sisters, and eventually he grew bored of his new toys. They were great for a bit of a laugh, but those two small creatures just weren’t as good as he was. God was too soft, and Goddess too much like the Third. It irritated Heaven that his two siblings were off apparently having a great time without him. So Heaven gently suggested to God that it was time to expand. But not into the Third. No, the Third was the reason that Heaven was without his siblings. Heaven whispered about expansion into the Second.

But the Second wanted nothing to do with God.

She was the peacemaker of the trio, remember. She would only agree to expansion if it was a joint venture between the God and Goddess. But the Goddess wasn’t terribly interested in God’s expansion plans, so she came up with an alternative.

And thus, Amenadiel, the first angel was born, which jumpstarted something new called “time.” He was followed soon after by twins, the Archangels Michael and Samael. God and Goddess presented the twins to the Second as a compromise between the First and the Third. The Second found them rather endearing and granted them permission to shape her form. God directed the show, of course, but Michael and Samael were both artists, and, where Michael’s form was a bit rigid, Samael’s was wild. God then named the Second Earth, and also declared it to be good.

Heaven seemed to delight in the Third being left on her own, but the Third didn’t mind. She created heat and passion and fire within herself and danced in the flames. But, for the times when she missed the peace that her sister provided, she gave herself a small lake, surrounded by tall green trees with spiky leaves so that she could have a small portion of the beauty the twin archangels sprinkled across her sister.

The Third loved hearing Earth tell of the twins' exploits. They were frolicking over Earth and shaping her into a thing of beauty. While Earth enjoyed Michael, who reminded her so much of her aloof brother, it was Samael, who reminded her of her passionate sister, that truly brought her happiness. The Third found she loved this strange little archangel who brought her sister such joy.

But, things changed. Earth came to the Third with a sad tale. Goddess’ pride and passion ended up mixing together to make her a jealous being. God loved the tender little creatures that Samael and Michael had made to flourish across the Earth, and the Goddess didn’t like them at all. Goddess created 13 creatures to destroy what God and her sons had so lovingly placed upon the Earth. God was not pleased by this development. The creatures couldn’t be destroyed, and Heaven didn’t want them, so they had to go somewhere. Earth begged the Third to take the pestilence that the Goddess had created. The Third wanted to remove this pain from her sister, so she took the 13 creatures into herself.

And God gave the Third a name. He called her Hell, and declared her to be bad.

Hell knew that her brother was behind that one.

The creatures weren't very happy about being shoved into a mostly formless realm filled with fire, and their anger began to change the form of Hell. She wasn't particularly pleased with the misery and the wailing, but it made her residents happy, so she rolled with it.

Time passed. Earth, the old hippy, happily changed to accommodate new life. Heaven became full with God and Goddess' litter of winged offspring, and Hell began to get bored. When would these 13 creations of the Goddess get tired of the anger and pain? Honestly, it was getting old.

More change came soon after. Lilith came first. Apparently God thought she had too much of something he called "free will," and she was causing problems. God thought that Lilith should submit to the male, Adam, just as God wanted the Goddess to submit to him. But Lilith, like the Goddess and Hell, wouldn’t take that shit, so God cast her to Hell. Hell, who saw in Lilith a kindred spirit, gave her comfortable accommodations away from the 13 creatures. Lilith didn't much care for them, and she gave them a name: "Demons."

But the 13 Demons were very interested in Lilith. They were all males, and Lilith was the first female that they'd met. Lilith eventually realized that this gave her power over the 13 Demons, and thus, Lilith tamed the beasts of Hell. 

9 months later, the first litter of Lilim was born.

They were half human/half demon hybrids, soulless, like their fathers, but with the bit of divine spark of their human mother. Lilith found her offspring to be a means to an end and nothing more. This disappointed Hell, and Lilith fell from her good graces. Lilith ended up placing her offspring into the not-so-gentle care of their fathers. Unsurprisingly, most of the Lilim didn't reach maturity. This bothered Hell, but it didn't bother Lilith. Allowing the 13 Demons to procreate with her gave Lilith power over them. And really, all Lilith wanted was to be the Head Bitch in Charge. 

And then, Samael arrived in Hell. He was barely recognizable as the being of light and joy that had so delighted Earth. His form had been burned to a crisp. The poor little angel couldn’t even move from pain and injury. Hell helped him change his form into something serviceable, but the angel was either unwilling or unable to completely heal from his injuries. He remained red and scarred. And Samael demanded a new name. He now called himself Lucifer. And he thought he was evil. He thought Hell was evil too, but Hell knew better.

The demons did nothing to change his mind. From the beginning, they came after Lucifer, seeing him as a threat. And rightfully so. Lucifer could easily defeat any one of the demons in combat. It was only when the demons combined forces that they became a threat to him.

Luckily for Lucifer, the 13 Elder Demons were constantly fighting among themselves, and it took them a long time to realize that they should combine their forces to come after Lucifer. And they never would have cooperated at all if it hadn’t been for Lilith.

While she was the physically weakest of Hell’s denizens, she held sway over them. If an Elder Demon pleased her, she consented to carry their offspring. If an Elder Demon displeased her, she denied him entrance into her home and her bed. Lilith saw Lucifer as a threat to her leadership of the realm. Through clever manipulation, Lilith convinced the Elder Demons to attack Lucifer and drive him from Hell.

Hell couldn’t stand for this. Even though he was broken, Hell still saw the light and passion and joy in Lucifer. He was the brightest spark that Hell had seen since the 13 Elder Demons came and shifted her into something she despised. So Hell built Lucifer a throne. As the only being in the realm with wings, only he could reach its heights. Lucifer would be safe there.

But Lucifer still held anger at his father for sending him to Hell, and running away would not soothe the rage in his soul.

So Hell had to come up with an alternative.

She made him her king. Lucifer now held the same power over Hell that his father held over Heaven and that he and his twin once held over Earth. 

And, with that power, the King defeated the 13 Elder Demons and Lilith.

But he didn’t change Hell.

As time passed, the King fell into a deep melancholy, and Hell shifted from burning flames to a deep chill to fit his mood. The King denied it, but he desired companionship.

He missed his family.

When human souls first came to Hell, she hoped that this change would break the King from his mood, but Lucifer mostly allowed the Lilim to have their way with the damned souls. Hell created the first loops for them, to protect them from the Lilim’s treatment. But things did not go as planned. The King’s guilt and the demon’s anger made the loops a form of torture. 

This displeased Hell. She attempted to appeal to the King, but he saw the humans as something less than himself. It was time for outside help. Hell spoke to Earth, begging her sister to allow the King into her realm. The King needed to see humans in their natural habitat. Maybe that would end the torture.

A few whispered words in her King’s ear, and he flew to Earth.

Then his elder brother, Amenadiel brought him back, The King sulked. Eventually he got bored, he returned to Earth and the cycle repeated. Over and over again.

During one of Lucifer’s trips topside, Hell was surprised to feel the presence of the God and Goddess at the gates of her realm. God was displeased about the treatment of the souls of Hell. Hell agreed. But inertia was a terrible thing, and what had been started couldn’t be stopped. Souls that were rejected by Heaven had only one place to go. Hell suggested to God that he get Heaven to relax it’s restrictions. They all agreed that there were souls that were so unredeemable that they belonged in Hell. But most of the souls in her loops did not deserve what they had received. The God and Goddess went to speak with Heaven

During the King’s next visit to Earth, the God and Goddess returned to the gates. Heaven was firm. He would not allow souls to come in that were burdened with guilt. He viewed them as unworthy to come into his kingdom. Hell had an idea, then. Remove the guilt from the souls. The question was how? Eventually, the trio came to a solution. A new angel would be made. An Angel of Justice. This angel would have the ability to work alongside the King and remove guilt from those that were undeserving. Hell took a bit of her own essence and placed it inside of the Angel of Justice’s soul to give her the power, passion, and desire to achieve their goals.

And thus, the Angel of Justice was created in Hell to fix the flaws of Heaven. She was the last angel created, and the first to be infused with power directly from one of the realms. 

But, it wasn’t time yet. Hell knew her King would not accept this newly formed Angel, and the two must be partners to succeed, so she proposed a plan. The King’s Earthly visits had grown longer and more frequent, and all the parties involved felt that eventually, he would abdicate his throne. The Angel of Justice would be placed on the Earth as a human. She would learn sympathy of the human’s plight in this way. They would time the Angel of Justice’s arrival on Earth to coincide with the King’s abdication. 

As time passed though, it became clear that the Goddess didn’t want more human souls in Heaven. They disgusted her. Hell thought that Heaven must be behind the Goddess’ change of heart. God, however, remained firm in his plan, as did Hell. The souls in Hell didn’t deserve what was happening to them. They attempted to sway the Goddess, but she remained firm. Hell and God knew that drastic measures were needed.

God began conspiring with Hell behind the Goddess’ back. Goddess needed to be contained for their plan to succeed, As Goddess was mostly of Hell already, only Hell could hold her, so Hell created a cell.

During the King’s next visit to Earth, Hell allowed entrance for God and Goddess for the first and last time. 

God cried when the cell door slammed behind his wife.

Time passed and little changed. Then the King made a trip to Earth in what was the late 1970s by human reckoning, and it was different from previous visits. It had been his longest visit yet, spanning several months of Earth’s time. Upon his return, Hell learned that he had spent a fair amount of his time acquiring land and holdings. He called it a rainy day fund.

The time was coming.

Hell called out to God. He brought the Angel of Justice’s soul to the gates. They breathed life into the soul, and God wrapped her into a blessing. He directed one of his sons to place the Angel of Justice into the womb of an actress in the city of Los Angeles.

And now it was time to begin whispering in the King’s ear, encouraging him to abdicate. Hell felt relief for the first time in ages when the King spread his wings and left Hell for the City of Angels. It was time for him to meet his Queen.

*****

Hell kept an eye on the Angel of Justice during her mortal life. She was everything Hell could have hoped for: Kind, compassionate, just, and head over heels in love with the King, even if she didn’t realize it yet.

When the Angel of Justice learned the truth about the King, she recoiled in shock. “It’s all true,” she had said. The Angel of Justice ran from the King into the arms of an emissary from God. A man of the cloth. He twisted the Angel of Justice, and put fear, anger and hatred into her, warping her pure soul.

Hell felt pity for the Angel of Justice, and she felt pity for her King. But she knew, as did God, that the Angel of Justice could not do her job unless she too knew what it meant to be a sinner.

God’s mortal emissary ended the Angel of Justice’s mortal life, and the King wept. He demanded that God admit her into Heaven.

And Hell held her breath. 

This whole plan hinged on what the Angel of Justice chose next.

But, she chose well, and God activated her divinity, giving her wings of sunset-colored feathers, and sent both the King and the Angel of Justice back to Earth for the length of the angel’s mortal daughter’s lifespan. 

Hell added a second throne to Hell’s spire for her new Queen in celebration.

Then God sent his obnoxious entitled son, Michael down to sit on the throne of Hell until it was time for the King and Queen to arrive. Hell thought this was a terrible idea. The demons in her realm became increasingly irritated under his mockery of a rule. Unrest was beginning to brew.

Then something happened that both overjoyed and dismayed Hell. The Angel of Justice was thirsty to fulfill her role, and she came to Hell only three Earth days after receiving her divine wings.

And she was magnificent. For the first time in history, a soul was released from Hell, purged of guilt, and Heaven was forced to accept her into his realm. Hell was thrilled at this, but feared what the demons would do with this new variable after Michael’s attempt at a tight-fisted reign.

But, trouble was to come from a new direction. Lilith, content for ages to be a demonic broodmare, bucked at the idea of a new Queen. During Lucifer’s sabbatical, her influence had grown. She was content to keep the worst of the demonic behavior in check during Michael’s brief reign, but the appearance of the Queen pushed her over the edge.

Encouraged by Lilith, the demons of Hell broke into full revolt..

Hell gave a few careful whispers to Michael, and he flew the coop, eager to bring the King and Queen home.

And Hell waited for their return.


	2. Beckoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Preparations are made for a trip.

Lucifer and Chloe had both made so many mistakes and they’d both been through so much. As Chloe rested her head on Lucifer’s shoulder, though, she wasn’t thinking about that. For the first time in a week, she felt completely at peace. 

Yes, she was snuggled up next to the Devil, whom she almost betrayed on the urging of a psychotic priest. Said priest then shot and killed her when she decided that she’d rather side with the Devil than him. Then the Devil flew her to Heaven, she had a heart to heart with her dead father, God gave her angel wings and proclaimed her the Queen of Hell. Then Dan found out the truth, then Trixie, then she went to Hell, released the soul of a murder victim from her loop, came home, got flying lessons, kissed the Devil, and then attempted to seduce him, failing miserably because of her stupid hangups over her shiny new angel body…

...yeah, it had been a weird week.

But, in this moment, as she leaned into his warmth, she remembered something that she’d forgotten in all the chaos.

She loved him. 

She loved his ridiculous vanity, she loved the way he wouldn’t allow a single piece of popcorn to fall on his perfect marble floor, she loved his dumb jokes and the way he smiled at her like she was precious. 

And, despite all the weird and crazy, she felt more at peace, right here, right now, curled up against the Devil in his over-the-top penthouse watching  _ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off _ than she ever had before.

Until a ball of golden feathers rolled through the open balcony window, crashing through the glass coffee table to land at their feet.

Lucifer leaped behind the couch, pulling Chloe with him. He shoved her behind his back and unfurled his wings, puffing them up aggressively.

_ "Michael,"  _ Lucifer said with a hiss.

The feathers fell back, revealing a carbon copy of Lucifer, panting and bleeding. "You're needed," Michael gasped. "You and your Queen. Hell is in revolt."

“Wait, is this  _ that  _ Michael?” Chloe asked. Lucifer’s wing was blocking her view. She almost shoved it out of the way before she remembered something he had told her: Never touch another angel’s wings without their permission.

“No,” Lucifer hissed, “the other archangel Michael that broke my wings and threw me into Hell who also happens to look just like me.”

Chloe tried to step around his massive wings to see the newcomer, but Lucifer puffed up even more, blocking her from his twin’s view.

“What did you do to my realm, Michael?” Lucifer asked.

_ “Your realm?” _ said Michael. “You abdicated to come play with your little baby angel, leaving me holding the bag. Then you just  _ had  _ to bring the former human down, getting Lilith all riled up. I tried to tell that little whore…”

Lucifer snorted. “Did you call Lilith a whore to her face? Idiot. You haven’t changed a bit.”

Michael shifted. “I didn’t call her a whore,” he said, a look of guilt crossing her face. “I may have called her a demonic broodmare though.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “I supposed you also thought it would be a good idea to insult the Elder Demons too, didn’t you?”

“I called them foul beasts," Michael said with a shrug. "Anyway, it doesn’t matter. You have to come back down and fix it!”

“I have to do nothing of the sort! You made this mess, now clean it up!”

“They didn’t show me the proper amount of respect! I’m the Prince of Heaven! The sword of God!" Michael proclaimed, puffing out his chest. "They’re just dumb monsters.”

Even Chloe snorted at that. She stepped to the side so that she could see Michael over Lucifer’s wing. “I don’t know anything about Heaven or Hell, but I know that you can’t just go into a strange land and demand respect. It doesn’t work like that.”

Michael looked down his nose at her. “And how do you think your dear, sweet, Devil scraped his way to the top? With gold stars and candy?”

Chloe arched an eyebrow at him and walked around the end of Lucifer’s wing to stand by his side. “No, Knowing Lucifer, I imagine he did it with deals, and if that didn’t work, he used sex, and, if all else failed, he probably resorted to violence.”

“Actually,” Lucifer said, sounding impressed, “that’s exactly how it happened. Although not necessarily in that order.”

“Yes, Saint Lucifer. Ready to plant his wick into any hole he can find,” Michael sneered. 

“Jealous?” Lucifer said with a grin, wrapping his arm possessively around Chloe’s waist.

Michael’s eyes shifted towards Chloe, his eyes roaming over her body in a way that made her feel naked before him. Lucifer, unfortunately, saw it too. He pulled her tighter, his eyes turning red. “You do not look at her that way without her consent.”

“I’ll look at her however I want,” Michael sneered at his brother.

Lucifer let out a low growl. “She is not yours.”

“She’s not yours either. Why would any angel want to spend time with a monster and betrayer like you?”

Lucifer’s growl raised in pitch, and flashes of flame began to dance across his skin.

“Hey!” Chloe yelled, pulling away from Lucifer’s grasp to stand between the twins. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here! Lucifer, stop taking the bait, he’s just trying to get a rise out of you. Michael, if you want help, maybe you should try asking nicely. Now, both of you, put your wings up and sit down. Let’s talk about this like adults.”

“He started it,” Michael muttered.

Chloe gave him a red-eyed glare of her own. That combined with her Mom look made Michael finally look slightly ashamed of himself. “Now. Sit. Talk. Michael, over there in the chair. Lucifer, the couch.” Chloe suppressed an eyeroll. Every day, she thought her life couldn't get any stranger. The next, she was mediating a fight between the Devil and St. Michael.

Lucifer folded his wings and sat back, draping his arms across the back of the couch, a smirk on his face. “I’d listen to her, brother. She’s terrifying when she wants to be.”

Shooting glares at both Chloe and Lucifer, Michael relaxed his posture, folded his wings, and let out a sigh.

Feeling victorious for the moment, Chloe held out her hand. “Forgive my manners, Michael, I’m Detective Chloe Decker of the LAPD. It’s nice to meet you.”

Chloe saw Lucifer tensed up as Michael placed his hand in Chloe’s, but Michael behaved. “Michael, Prince of Heaven, Sword of God, half of the Demiurge.”

“Oh, you’re still claiming that title?” Lucifer said.

“Of course, it’s mine.”

“And mine. I figured that you wouldn’t want to remind people of your association with me.”

“Well, it’s hard, You’ve got my face.”

“No, you’ve got  _ my  _ face!”

“Children!” Chloe scolded and they both shut up. Honestly? These were two of the most powerful beings in the universe? She sat down on the couch. Lucifer put his hand on her knee protectively. Chloe put her hand over his and turned back to the devil doppelganger. “Michael, tell us what happened in Hell.”

“Well, the Lilim were rotten from day one. They never listened to my commands. They were horrible to the souls. I demanded that they stop, but they went behind my back.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “You can’t demand things from the Lilim. You have to divert their attention, Michael. Fighting, sex and games. It’s easy enough. They’re just like humans. Give them a distraction and you can get away with anything.”

Chloe tried very hard not to be insulted by that comment

“Yes, well, Lilith managed to keep her spawn from at least being flagrant about their inability to follow simple commands, then the second throne appeared, and all the disobedience stopped. Lilith tightened down on them. Apparently the little human thought that  _ she  _ would sit on the second throne.”

Lucifer scoffed at that. “Ridiculous.”   


“Indeed. As if a  _ human  _ could ever hope to hold that kind of power!”

Lucifer gave a small chuckle at that.

Well, at least they could agree on something. Even if that something was the general unworthiness of her species. Former species. Whatever. Chloe leaned forward. “It was my arrival that sparked the revolt, wasn’t it? Lilith was jealous?”

Michael looked at her with a begrudging respect. “It was. Lilith convened the 13 Elder Demons and many of the older Lilim and had a little get together in the Great Amphitheater. I attempted to put them in their place, and, well…”

“They ran your feathered backside out of town?” Lucifer said, perking up.

“Yes,” Michael sighed.

“So you flew the coop?”

“Exactly.”

“You decided to migrate to cooler climates?” Lucifer turned a grin towards Chloe, obviously looking for praise for his puns. Chloe just rolled her eyes. Lucifer sighed at her lack of reaction. “It’s funny because he has wings, Detective.”

She shook her head, an involuntary smile coming to her face. “So does everyone in this room. Takes some of the bite out of it.” Chloe turned to Michael. “Has he always made terrible puns?”

Michael’s cheeks twitched in an attempt to hide a smile. “Unfortunately.” 

Lucifer’s eyes flickered between the two of them. “Right. Can’t have you two getting along. You’re far too much like each other.”

Chloe and Michael both gaped at him, obviously offended. Lucifer grinned at Chloe. “You're better of course, Detective, but both of you lack the ability to let go and enjoy life.” He pointed a finger at his twin. “And I’m sure he’s gotten worse without me around.”

Michael stiffened. “And I’m sure you’ve gotten more hot headed and irresponsible, Samael.”

“The name’s  _ Lucifer,  _ brother,” Lucifer scoffed.

“You’re not wrong,” Chloe said with a grin. She turned to Lucifer, taking in his insulted expression with a grin. “You’re better looking, though.”

There was the smile that she loved so much.

“Don’t stroke his ego. He spent his entire youth being told that he’s the most beautiful angel,” Michael grumbled. “Anyway, back to the topic of Hell. What do you want to do about it? The demons need to be brought back under control before they get ideas about coming to Earth.”

Lucifer sat back with a sigh. “I suppose I could pop back down for a bit, straighten up your mess. But I’m not staying. Father gave us until the end of the Detective’s spawn’s life to stay on Earth, and I plan to enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Agreed. Do you want me to come with you?”

“No, I think it’s better than I handle this on my own. Don't want you making things worse."

Michael rolled his eyes, but let it slide.

Lucifer stood up and walked over to his twin. “I should be back by the morning. Stay here. I’ll let you know when it’s done. Detective, keep an eye on him, will you?”

“Oh, no. I’m coming with you.”

“It’s a demon rebellion. This will hardly be as pleasant as our last trip.”

“Don’t care.”

“I do.”

“You can still be hurt by Hellforged steel, remember?" Lucifer said, perking up like he'd found the answer to his problem. "It could get ugly. I can’t guarantee that I can protect you.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him. “We’re partners, we protect each other.”

“Detective, it’s a demon rebellion. You have no idea what you’re walking into.”

She smirked at him. “Well, it’s about time I learned, don’t you think? Besides, I can’t let some hussy take over my shiny new throne now, can I?”

Lucifer glared. Chloe smiled. Michael burst out laughing. “It’s true what they say, isn’t it? You are in love! I never thought that I’d see something like this! Oh, Chloe, bless you. You need all the help you can get.”

Chloe and Lucifer both studiously looked anywhere but at each other. Lucifer sighed. “Well, I suppose we have some preparations to make before we leave. You can’t walk into a rebellion wearing trainers and an oversized sweater. Maze will have something you can borrow.”

She sighed, resigned to her fate. “Okay. And we need to drop by Dan’s and let him and Trixie know that I’ll be unreachable for the night.”

“Not unreachable, Detective. The spawn can pray to you. We can just call them and tell them that.”

Chloe shook her head. “No. I’m going into a demon rebellion, I’m kissing my daughter before I leave.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, shooting off a text. “There, I just told Dan we’re coming.”

Lucifer narrowed his eyes and pulled out his own phone. As he typed, he muttered. “Maze, you get to dress the Detective for a trip to Hell. You’ve got free reign. Have fun.” He looked up from his phone, a smirk on his face. “Well, we best be on our way. The rebellion won’t stop itself. He walked out to the balcony and opened his wings. “Are you coming, Detective?”

“We’re flying to Dan’s?”

“Tick tock! Time is wasting!”

She sighed, opening her own wings and joined Lucifer on the balcony.

“Chloe Decker,” Michael said from behind her. She turned, looking at him over the edge of her wing. “You make a lovely angel.”

“Alright, enough of that,” Lucifer said. “Help yourself to the bar, Michael. You could use a drink. Stay out of my club. I’d hate for people to think that I dress like that. We’ll be back by morning.”

Lucifer lifted off from the balcony with a powerful flap of his wings.

Chloe looked at his retreating form and then turned back to Michael. “Well…” she began.

“Good hunting, Chloe Decker.”

She nodded, giving him a small smile. “Thanks.” She spread her wings and lifted off.

*****

Chloe landed a little harder than expected, stumbling into Dan’s front door with a thud. She folded her wings away and shot a glare at Lucifer, daring him to laugh at her less-than-perfect landing, but, for once in his life, he kept his mouth shut. Dan jerked the door open. “You didn’t have to bang. How’d you get here so fast?”

“No bang intended. The Detective didn’t quite stick the landing. And to answer your question, we flew.”

Dan blinked twice. “In the middle of the city?”

“Yes.”

“In broad daylight?” Dan poked his head out of his door, expecting to see slack jawed neighbors gawking at the two angels standing on his front porch.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Angel magic. Can we come in?”

Dan sighed and held the door open for them. The minute they crossed the threshold, they were assaulted by the sounds of Trixie thundering towards them. “Mom! Lucifer!”

Chloe didn’t miss Dan’s slight flinch as their daughter flung her arms around the Devil’s leg. “Yes, spawn,” Lucifer said, wiggling away from her. “We came to speak with your father for a few minutes if you don’t mind.”

“Can I stay?” Trixie said, turning to her mother.

“Give us just a few minutes with Daddy, and we’ll talk with you, okay?” Trixie let out a sigh, but went to her room without further fuss. Once she heard Trixie’s door slam, a bit louder than was truly necessary, she turned to Dan. “Lucifer and I will be out of reach for a little bit. Probably no later than tomorrow morning, though. I just wanted to give you a heads up in case you needed to get a hold of us.”

“Why?” Dan asked, cautiously.

“We have to put down a little rebellion in Hell,” Lucifer said, brushing the non-existent dirt from Trixie’s embrace off his pants. 

“You’re taking her to Hell? Again?” Dan’s eyes flickered between Chloe and Lucifer. “Wait, what kind of rebellion?”

“Demon rebellion.”

Dan’s jaw flapped wide again, “Why are you taking her?” he said, pointing to Chloe. 

“I’m standing right here, Dan,” Chloe said, crossing her arms.

“Yes, well, I wasn’t particularly pleased about it either, but the Detective insisted.”

“And you just give into whatever she wants?”

“Dan!” Chloe stepped between the two, tired of her ex talking about her like a misbehaving child. “It’s my choice. Everything will be fine. I’ll be with Lucifer. I’ll be okay.”

Chloe could almost see Dan’s inner thoughts whirring. Despite the fact that she’d sprouted angel wings, despite their messy divorce, despite her higher close rate, Dan still viewed her as someone who needed to be put in a glass case and  _ protected.  _ And that, more than anything, was why their marriage had failed.

His eyes shifted to Lucifer. “You’ll keep her safe?”

Lucifer stood a little straighter. “I’ll have her back.” 

She smiled at his choice of words. Even before her angelic transformation, Lucifer had viewed her as an equal, really. Partners. Standing between the two men, the differences in them were put into sharp relief. “Dan, we need to teach you how to pray in case you have any problems.”

“Why would I have any problems?”

Lucifer fell back onto Dan’s chair, taking over the space. “Because, Detective Douche, my idiot brother Michael..."

"As in _Saint_ Michael?" Dan's eyes bugged out.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Don't call him that. He ego is large enough already. Anyway, my pompous and obnoxious twin Mikey screwed up his stewardship of Hell’s throne and made enemies among some powerful demons. I’ve banned them from coming to Earth, of course, but I’m afraid that they’re a bit riled up right now. I don’t think there will be any problems, but the Detective wanted you to be able to reach us. And, alas,” he said, holding up his phone, “no cell reception in Hell.”

Dan shot Chloe a slightly wide-eyed look. She could see that this was all a bit much for him still. She took his hand gently and led him to the couch and sat down beside him. “It’s okay. Will you learn? I’ll feel better if you can reach out to me or Lucifer.” She gave him a soft, gentle smile and saw some of his tension melt away.

Dan eyes quickly flicked over to Lucifer before returning back to Chloe’s “You want me to pray to the Devil?” There was a note of panic in his voice.

Lucifer leaned forward. “I’m sitting right here, Douche.”

“No offense, dude. But, man, I was raised Catholic. Shouldn’t I be praying to God?”

“Depends on if you’d actually like a response or not. My father doesn’t care a bit about your prayers.”

“And you do?”

Lucifer shrugged. “Your continued existence pleases the spawn, which pleases the Detective.”

“Dan?” Chloe said, directing his attention back to her. “Will you try?”

He sighed. “Fine. But to you, not him.” He shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Praying to my ex-wife and the Devil.” He crossed himself and sighed. “How do I do this?”

Chloe turned to Lucifer and quirked an eyebrow in a silent question.

“Right. Clasp your hands, close your eyes, and just, I don’t know,  _ think  _ towards the Detective. Like this.” Lucifer folded his hands. Suddenly his voice sounded in her mind.

_ Chloe. _

Then the image of Lucifer wearing only a pair of black silk boxers sprawled out on the floor of the penthouse sprang to her mind. The image Lucifer winked at her and motioned for her to join him.

Chloe tossed a throw pillow towards the real Lucifer. “Stop that. You can’t use prayers as… glorified sexting!”

Lucifer grinned at her. “I just did.”

She shook her head, a small yet fond smile pulling up the corners of her mouth. “Satan,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“My Queen.” He said back, bowing his head.

“Are you sleeping with him?” Dan asked.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no,” Chloe said, glaring at her ex-husband. “Now, back to praying.”

Dan sighed and folded his hands. “Like this?”

“Perfect,” Lucifer said from the couch. “No praying naked pictures to the Detective though.”

Then a new voice popped into her head.

_ Chloe? Am I doing this right? _

“You’re doing perfect,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “Keep going.”

Dan’s mental voice was less brash than his real one. There was more pain there. Chloe could feel what he was feeling. Dan was hiding so much fear.  _ Please be safe, Chloe. I can’t lose you too _

She took both of his hands in hers. “I’ll be okay, Dan. I’ll be home by the morning. Okay?”

“Text me as soon as you get back.”

Chloe nodded, giving Dan a small smile.

A small shuffling from behind Trixie’s door pulled her attention away from her ex. Sounds like her little monkey was eavesdropping. Chloe held a finger to her lips, indicating silence from Lucifer and Dan as she walked towards her daughter’s room. Opening the door, she found Trixie on the floor, her ear pressed to the ground to listen at the crack under the door. 

“Trixie,” she scolded. “What have I told you about eavesdropping?”

“That I shouldn’t do it?” Trixie said, shooting her large, innocent brown eyes.

Chloe leaned down to pick up her not-so-little girl. “Do you have any questions about what you heard?”

“You’re going away?” Trixie asked.

“But I’ll be back by the morning, Monkey.”

“You’re going to Hell?” Trixie whispered.

Chloe nodded.

“Why do you have to do it?”

She ran a hand through her daughter’s hair. “Do you remember when you asked why Daddy and I were cops? Why it couldn’t be someone else’s parents?”

“Because you and Daddy are strong enough to help people. Not everyone is.”

“That’s right.” Chloe ran a comforting hand down her daughter’s back. “This is the same thing. I am strong enough to help people. I have a responsibility to do so. Do you understand?”

Trixie’s hand traced the indentions on Chloe’s back over her hidden wings. “Angels are supposed to help people, right?”

Chloe nodded. “But, remember, I’m your mother first. You’ll be safe with Daddy. Lucifer and I will be back so soon you won’t even realize that we’re gone.”

“Is Maze going with you? She’ll keep you safe.”

Lucifer leaned in. “No. I’m going to ask Maze to stay here to keep an eye on you.”

“I’ll have Lucifer with me, Monkey. He’s the king down there. He’ll keep me safe.”

“And you’ll keep him safe?”

“I will.” Chloe looked over Trixie’s head and gave Lucifer a smile. “He’s my partner.” Lucifer smiled back, looking both awed and pleased. Chloe turned back to Trixie and gave her a little tickle. “Someone’s got to keep an eye on him, right?”

Trixie giggled. “Well, if I’m not around, I suppose you’ll do.”

“You remember how to pray, right?”

Trixie folded her hands and bowed her head.  _ Mommy, like this? _

“Good job. Now Try Lucifer.”

Chloe turned to watch Lucifer’s expression as her daughter prayed to the Devil. He scowled for a second, then his expression softened. “You have my word, Urchin.” Chloe had a pretty decent idea what Trixie had asked for in her prayers. 

Kisses and hugs were exchanged. Lucifer, true to form, shied away as Trixie’s arms encircled his legs. As they were walking out the door, Trixie grabbed Chloe’s hand one last time. “Mommy?”

“Yes, baby?”

“Everything’s going to be okay?”

Chloe wrapped her daughter in one last hug. “Of course, baby. You’ve got Maze and Daddy looking out for you and Lucifer and I will stay together.” Chloe planted one last kiss on her daughter’s head. “I love you, Monkey.”

“I love you, Mommy.”

Lucifer opened his wings and, with a nod to Dan and Trixie took off towards Chloe’s apartment. Chloe opened her own wings, enjoying the look of joy on her daughter’s face. As she took off she saw Dan wrap an arm around Trixie’s shoulder.

It was a beautiful sight.

*****

Upon entering her living room, she was greeted by the sight of dozens of shapes and varieties of black leather clothing spread on every available surface. Lucifer purred at Maze’s selections and turned to Chloe. “Lucifer likes.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he does. Maze, I don’t need to look like a dominatrix.”

Maze scoffed and dropped several more leather pieces on the back of the couch. “You’re the Queen of Hell. You can’t go down there looking like a sweet, boring, blond cop in mom jeans. They’ll never respect you.”

“And they’ll respect me more in skin tight leather?” Chloe asked skeptically.

“They’ll respect you more in dragon hide, but leather works in a pinch,” Maze said, stroking a pair of pants, a wistful expression on her face. “Lucifer managed to ruin my one set of actual Hell clothing during a roleplay session.”

“I never want to hear this story.”

“Shame. It’s a good one.” Maze turned to Lucifer. “You’re not going to change?”

Lucifer looked down at his suit. Black jacket and pants, blood red shirt and matching pocket square. “Why mess with perfection?”

Maze rolled her eyes. “Go mess with your hair or something while I dress the Queen.”

As soon as Lucifer disappeared up the stairs, Maze turned to Chloe, an appraising look in her eye. “I get that you’re all boring and shit, but you really need to be scarier down there. The red eyes and the wings help, but you still look like a soccer mom. You need to be intimidating. Demons appreciate shows of strength. Wish we could dye your hair black.”

“I’m not dying my hair.”

After much grumbling back and forth, the two of them finally compromised on an outfit. Black leather pants clung to her like a second skin. Maze paired that with a black leather high collared halter that plunged low enough to show off Chloe's modest cleavage and left her wings free to spring from Chloe’s back without passing through material. Heavy black knee high boots covered her feet, and a belt with spots for two wicked-looking daggers sat low on Chloe’s waist. 

But Chloe drew the line at the cape.

It attached to the halter top, just under Chloe’s shoulder blades and fanned out to the ground.

“It’s impractical.”

“It’s regal.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I’m not a Queen, not really.”

“Down there you are. And you need to look the part. Look, if you end up hating it, you can rip it off, but you need all the help you can get.” Maze stepped behind her to draw her hair up into a high ponytail. She fastened a silver clip around the base, braided the loose hair, and put a second silver clip around the bottom. Maze stepped back, giving her an appraising look. “Wings and eyes?”

Chloe opened her wings and let her eyes flair red. 

Maze sighed. “You’re still not scary enough, but at least you won’t embarrass yourself.”

“Thanks? I feel stupid.”

“Lucifer!” Maze called up the stairs. “She’s ready.”

The second he came into view, he ground to a halt, his eyes roaming from her thick boots, sliding up her long legs, lingering for a moment on her cleavage and finally working their way up to meet Chloe’s.  _ “Detective,”  _ he whispered. “You look stunning.”

“I feel like I should be whipping someone for misbehaving,” she said under her breath.

“I volunteer,” Lucifer said, perking up.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I should have expected that.” She walked over to him and straightened his collar. “Lucifer?”

“Yes ma’am?” He leered.

“Go to Hell.”

His eyes brightened at the joke. “Very good, Detective.” Turning to Maze, he said, “The spawn?”

“I’ll keep an eye on her. You do the same for Decker. She finally got interesting. And Lucifer, you might want to start with Karazmikeen. He should still be loyal.”

Lucifer nodded and unfurled his wings. “Would you like to go on your own this time, Detective, or would you like a lift?”

Chloe spread her wings, and stretching the joints. “I got it this time.”

Lucifer nodded. “Just think of the throne. Your wings will do the rest. I’ll count you down. Ready? 3...2…”


	3. Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to meet the locals.

“...1.”

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut and pictured the throne of Hell. Space tightened around her, compressing her, then spit her out with a pop There was no ground beneath her feet when she reappeared. Her eyes flew open to see the landscape of Hell spread out before her. She gave a few flaps to regain her altitude, sucking in a deep breath of sulfuric air. “Detective!” Lucifer called out. She twisted to her side to see Lucifer, already perched on his throne. He gave her a smirk and patted the throne next to him. Rolling her eyes, she flew to her own throne, pulling Maze’s stupid cape out from underneath her as she sat.

“You made it!” He said “And your lovely ensemble is still intact, cape and all.”

“Remind me to murder Maze for this later.” She let her eyes roam across the landscape beneath her feet as sounds from below came to her. The throne was no longer shrouded in silence. Instead, screams and the clash of swords filled the air. Surrounding the castle directly below them was a mob of demons, screaming and fighting. Behind the castle stood a large field surrounded by stands filled with writhing naked demonic bodies. “What’s happening over there?” she asked, pointing at the mass of flesh.

Lucifer followed her gaze, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Looks like a demonic orgy. Good times. Detective, you’ll find that when demons are left to their own devices, they tend to do one of three things. Fight, torture and fuck. Seems like all three are happening now. Look over there towards the bank of cells.” Lucifer pointed to the ring of cells along the outside of the valley. Even with her heightened angelic sight, Chloe had to squint to make out the demons pulling souls from their cells. “The cells I keep around the city belong to… special cases. Linda once asked me if there was a tyrant wing in Hell. There isn’t, but most of them end up here. Demons have free reign to play with the souls surrounding the city for the most part. We’ll have to make sure that Cain and your priest are here before we leave,” Lucifer said with a sneer.

“You think the priest ended up in Hell?”

Lucifer shrugged. “Probably. A fair number of so-called ‘holy men’ do. But it seems that Michael stopped the demon’s fun. Probably why they were getting antsy.”

“Torture is fun for them?”

Lucifer turned to her, a predatory grin on his face. “You’ve met Mazikeen, right?”

“Good point.” Chloe watched the soul of a woman get dragged through the streets beneath her feet. “Is it fun for you?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucifer shift on his throne. “Sometimes,” he said, hesitantly. “I prefer to delegate for the most part. Every now and then I partake.”

Chloe gripped the arms of her throne and turned to him, fear in her eyes. “Do you think it will become fun for me?”

Lucifer took her hand. _He’s tortured people with those hands._ “Well, I suppose that’s up to you. What you do or not do is your choice, Detective. Besides, you’re the Queen”

“Not quite,” she said, looking away.

“Close enough. You decide what your reign looks like. And if you don’t want to torture people, you won’t. Simple as that.”

“And what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Will you torture people?”

Lucifer released her hand with a sigh. “I have found it to be expedient. I don’t know if it would be possible to hold a grip over this place without violence unfortunately.”

“I don’t like it,” she muttered.

“I’ve found that I’ve rather lost my taste for the worst of it as well, Detective.”

She let her eyes gaze down at the melee below. Two demons were dragging the woman’s soul through the corridors between cells. A third demon followed behind, a whip in hand. Every now and then, the whip would flick against the woman’s bare back, causing the woman to cry out. Her cries seemed to delight the demon, and it whipped her again and again. Two images popped into her brain. The first was Maze and Trixie, curled up on her couch fast asleep. The second was Maze holding a whip, laughing as she tortured a soul. A shudder ran down her spine. It was too easy to imagine.

“Detective? Are you alright?”

Chloe’s eyes came back to Lucifer. Her partner. Her king? His eyes were soft, but worry and fear flickered through them. She’d seen him harm people before. She’d seen him drive people insane. And he’d enjoyed it. She’d seen those soft brown eyes turn into hard obsidian, which was even more intimidating than the red. Chloe had no problem imagining him with a whip in his hand.

But, just hours earlier, he’d been so kind to her. So gentle. And, even now, she could see so much compassion in his eyes.

There was a duality to Maze and Lucifer. Did that same duality exist within her? Her eyes turned to the woman being tortured beneath her. Could she do that? Just the thought sent a shiver down her spine. And if she did it, If she jumped off that cliff, could she live with herself afterwards? And would she be any better than the people locked in these cells for eternity? Or did the ends justify the means?

“Detective?”

Chloe shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Wings or not, Chloe had always been just a regular person. A cop. This kind of philosophizing was above her pay grade. “Sorry. I’m sorry, Lucifer.”

He placed his hand on her chin, turning her face towards his. “Chloe, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. And you don’t have to worry about what I think or anyone else thinks.” Lucifer leaned toward her and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “Do what you feel to be right. Your moral compass is impeachable.”

She nodded, pushing her dilemma aside for another day. “Okay. What do we do first? Maze said to talk to… Karazma-something?” 

He held her gaze for a moment longer before allowing the conversation to shift. “Karazmikeen. Mazikeen’s father. He’s one of the 13 Elder Demons. They all have castles ringing the Central Valley. Look.” Lucifer pointed out the ring of mountains surrounding the city. “There are thirteen manors. Each manor has a road leading through the ring of cells, into the city, and terminating at my palace. Well, our palace now.”

 _Our palace._ Chloe pushed down the panic that threatened to bubble up. “And beyond the mountains?”

“Other valleys, like the one with your lake and your lodgepole pines. There are countless numbers of souls here, Detective, and each one has a cell. There are dozens of valleys, but this one is the heart of the realm.”

“And Lilith? Where does she live?” 

Lucifer pointed almost directly below them. “There. She has a generous townhome in the city near the palace, but she usually shacks up with whichever Elder Demon impregnated her. He will protect her until she births his spawn, and then she moves on.”

“She doesn’t stay with her newborn children?”

Lucifer’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Well, Lilith isn’t exactly the most caring mother in existence. Most demon spawn don’t reach maturity.”

The image of a newborn Trixie flashed through her head. Chloe remembered the absolute love and adoration she felt for her tiny daughter. “She doesn’t care what happens after they’re born?”

“They’re no longer of any use to her.”

“That’s awful.”

“That’s Hell.”

Chloe sucked in a stuttering breath. She wanted out of this place. And she hadn’t even really seen her kingdom yet, and, at this moment, she didn’t want to. Eternity. She had eternity here.

But not yet. Now, they needed to fix a problem, and then she could go home. To Trixie. To a world where she didn’t have to contemplate if she could torture someone. “Okay, so how do we find this Karamikeen?”

“We ask Hell to locate him. She’ll find him for us, then we swoop in and go from there.” Lucifer hovered his right hand above the central armrest of the thrones. “Care to join me, Detective?”

She blew out a breath and placed her hand next to Lucifer’s. Together, they touched the central armrest.

*****

Chloe opened her eyes into darkness again, but at least this time she had a form. She felt a grip on her hand and looked over to see Lucifer standing beside her. They turned as one to see a woman approaching them. 

The woman was statuesque. Taller than Lucifer, her hair fell in copper waves to below her waist. Her face was stern, with high cheekbones, a straight, proud nose, and eyes that glowed with Hellfire. But, even without the Hellfire in her eyes, there was no mistaking her for a human or even an angel. Her form was somewhat fuzzy around the edges, with parts of her seeming to fade into the dark background, only to flicker back into existence a moment later. When her red eyes met with Chloe’s, her features softened, becoming more rounded and welcoming. “Chloe Decker, welcome back. I was pleased to see that you learned to use your wings.”

“Thank you,” Chloe said, bowing her head briefly.

“I don’t get a welcome?” Lucifer said, indigent.

Hell’s face returned to the sharper, stern one she wore as she walked in. “Your twin is an idiot.”

“And that’s my fault?”

“You have a problem to solve, my King.”

Chloe stepped forward. _“We_ have a problem to solve. Please, Hell, tell us how we can help.”

Hell’s features remained stern as she looked over Chloe. “What do you desire, Chloe Decker?”

“I want to stop the rebellion.”

“Why?”

Chloe opened her mouth to reply and quickly shut it. Because 'rebellions are bad' seemed like a weak reason. And, from the sound of it, Michael had tried to do things that may have seemed right from a heavenly perspective, but obviously just stirred the pot in Hell. This may be less cut and dry than she’d originally thought.

“Angels are all painfully naive,” Hell said, casting another glare at Lucifer. “They know nothing except following orders. They are unable to see things in shades of gray. They have never wanted in their lives, they’ve never felt pain, and they’ve never had to worry about making a poor decision. On the flip side of it, they’ve never known the joy of a gamble paying off, or what it feels like to accomplish something on their own. In short, they’ve never really lived. The King saved human beings from a similar fate when he tempted Eve.” Hell took a step closer to Chloe, looking down on her over her long nose. “The King is different, though he still shares some of the naivete of his siblings, but you, Chloe Decker, you were raised human, with all the risk and reward that comes with that. You know better.” Hell turned to Lucifer. “My King, Chloe Decker is a law enforcement officer. People protest those in her profession. Why do they protest?”

Lucifer shrugged. “They feel they’ve been treated poorly because of their race.”

“Do you think they have?”

“Some of them, yes.”

“What would you say to calm the protesters?”

Lucifer was silent for a moment, weighing the decision in his mind. “I hadn’t really thought about it, but...”

Hell raised a hand, halting his words. “Chloe Decker, have you thought about it?”

Chloe nodded. “I have. I don’t know how to solve all the problems we have, but I think the first step is to listen. We need to understand the perspective of the protesters first, then take what we’ve learned to make the system better for everyone.”

Hell pointed at Chloe and raised her eyebrows at Lucifer as if to say, “This.”

“It seems rather soft and fluffy for Hell,” Lucifer said.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Hell said. “Lilith is a problem right now. She’s currently carrying Tarzoth’s spawn, and promised him another pregnancy immediately after this one if he supports her in her uprising."

Lucifer turned to Chloe "Tarzoth looks like the Hell version of a giant squid that somehow gained the ability to walk on dry land. Nasty thing." He gave a small shudder.

Hell simply frowned at him.

"Hell? What do you recommend?" Chloe asked, ignoring her partner.

Hell just looked at Chloe, then gave a small nod, as if passing judgement. "The King knows his people well, but he has ruled unchallenged for millennia. Compromise isn’t something he’s had to do in a long time. But Lilith will always be a part of this realm. You need to find a way to coexist.”

"I could find a nice hole to stick her in for a couple of millennia," Lucifer grumbled. 

"And then you would anger the 13 who wish to use her to expand their clans," Hell snapped.

"So, we have to convince her to stand down?" Chloe asked.

"Good luck with that," Lucifer grumbled.

Hell looked at the both of them in judgement again. "You have been gone a long time, my King. I fear you will find that your influence has waned in your absence. You cannot afford to look weak. Neither can you, Chloe Decker. The demons respect strength and your angelic nature puts you at a distinct disadvantage."

Chloe self-consciously pulled at the end of her blond braid. Even with her ridiculous outfit from Maze, she didn't feel like the badass Queen of Hell. She felt like she was playing dress up. 

“The Detective has immense strength,” Lucifer interjected, angry on her behalf.

“The demons will only see an angel, and after Michael’s mistakes, that’s the last thing they want to see.” Hell shifted her gaze to Chloe. “But he is right. You have strength, Chloe Decker. Do you have a plan?”

She nodded. “Maze suggested that we speak with Karazmikeen.”

Hell closed her eyes and, for a moment, her form faded from view and only her voice was left in the void. “He is currently in Tarzoth’s court. You will need to isolate him from Tarzoth’s influence." She turned her glowing red eyes back to Chloe. "Hold your head high, Chloe Decker. You will not be handed a crown simply because you have Hellfire in your veins."

And, with a wave of her hand, Chloe and Lucifer found themselves back on their thrones. 

"What did she mean by that last part? Hellfire in my veins?"

Lucifer shrugged. "You never know with her. She speaks in riddles half the time. Bloody obnoxious." He fiddled with his cufflinks for a moment before turning to face Chloe. "I should probably change forms before we go out there."

"Change forms?" she said, confused. "Oh. You mean," Chloe waived her hands vaguely towards him. "Go all red?"

Lucifer nodded, looking concerned.

"Okay."

He blinked at her, surprise on his face. "That's it? It won't bother you?"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before, Lucifer," Chloe said, adjusting the stupid cape and avoiding his perplexed gaze. Truth be told, Chloe wasn't overly thrilled about it, but it was still him. Her partner. The Devil.

"Well, the first time you saw it, you didn't take it well."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to live that down, am I? Lucifer, my whole world changed that day. Look, I know it's still you. This is your realm. Do what you think you need to do to get things under control." 

“It’s just, they don’t like angels.”

“I get it.”

“And, well, you’re an angel, and I’ll have you with me.”

“You’re stalling.”

“Right.” He stood, giving a flap of his wings to hover in front of her. And then, with a slight shudder, her partner changed into the red-skinned being that had haunted her dreams. His beautiful white wings shifted into large bat-like leathery membranes. He raised his right hand and pressed the black stone of his ring against the center of his forehead. The metal glowed, and a crown formed upon his scarred head. It was chaotic in design, a dark metal circlet adorned with numerous outcroppings that looked like bare tree limbs reaching towards the sky. Something about it reminded her of the chandelier hanging above his piano in the penthouse. And, in the center, was a large black stone, identical in shape to the one on his ring. Before her, flew the King of Hell.

She waited for fear to douse her system, but was pleased to find that it never came. Giving him a smile, she stood and opened her own wings, the edge of one catching on the cape. Grumbling, she wrestled with the offending piece of cloth, finally disentangled it from her feathers. “I’m never forgiving Maze for this,” she muttered before shooting a glare at her red skinned, bat-winged partner. “And not a word out of you. This outfit is embarrassing enough.”

Even with unfamiliar skin, his smirk remained the same, as did the amused twinkle in his Hellfire eyes. “I didn’t say a word.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and gave a flap, lifting off from the throne to hover beside him. 

“You’re okay?” he asked, the mirth in his eyes switching suddenly to concern.

“Well, I’m about to go meet with an Elder Demon, whatever that is, to ask him to help us stop a demon rebellion, so I kinda feel like I’m operating outside my comfort level. Plus I’m dressed like a cross between Xena and a cosplay reject. With a stupid cape. I’m just peachy.”

“Have I mentioned that I rather enjoy this look on you, Detective?”

Smiling, she sighed, rolling her eyes. “It’s not fair that you get to wear normal clothes.”

“I have a Hellform. That’s scary enough.”

Chloe tilted her head to the side, examining him, a smile crossing her face. “You’re not that scary.” 

And, without even thinking about it, without pausing to wonder what the Chloe Decker of two months ago would have thought about her actions, she put her hand in the red, clawed hand of the Devil.

The expression that crossed his face then put the final nail in the coffin of any residual fear that might have been lingering in the back of her mind. He gazed at their joined hands like he had just been granted the most amazing gift in the world.

How had she ever feared this face? He was beautiful. She took her free hand and lifted his chin, bringing his gaze back to her own. “Are you ready, my King?” 

The Hellfire in his eyes brightened as a playful grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. “Of course, my Queen.” 

*****

They flew low over the city and the surrounding ring of cells, watching the movements of the demons in the streets. Around every turn, they found demons committing all forms of debauchery. As Chloe watched, two demons writhed in pleasure below her. The bottom demon reached climax. His partner let out a disappointed yell and stabbed her blade into his gut.

“And that,” Lucifer said with a smirk, “is why you should always let a lady come first.”

As the end of the valley approached, the cells gave way to rocky terrain dotted with tall pillars of stone. Chloe was about to give herself some additional altitude when a hiss of a projectile sounded out from one of the pillars. Lucifer gave a grunt and dropped several feet. Chloe came to a halt and turned to see something small and black protruding from his left wing. “Fly!” Lucifer called out to her. “Get higher!” Another bolt pierced his right wing and his wings collapsed in on themselves. Lucifer began to drop. 

She couldn’t let him fall.

Chloe dove towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist as another bolt whizzed past her ear. His wings were dead weights, adding to their resistance as she gave flap after flap, raising them a few feet at a time. “Let me go, Chloe!” Lucifer began to wiggle in her grasp. 

“Lucifer, stop fighting me,” she grunted as she gave another flap, “I’m not leaving you.”

Another bolt flew through the air, clipping the top edge of Chloe’s wing. It _hurt,_ far more than she expected and her grip on Lucifer weakened just as another bolt struck home in Lucifer’s right wing, causing him to jerk and fall from her grip. Chloe dove towards him again, but she wasn’t fast enough. Lucifer hit the ground with a thud and was immediately swarmed by demons. Two of them held a long length of chain, which they quickly attached to metal loops at the end of the crossbow bolts. Chloe hovered above the ground, watching in shock, her mind whirring as she tried desperately to figure out an escape plan.

Demons surrounded Lucifer on the ground, some holding crossbows, some holding swords. The two with the chain had finished their work, but kept their weight on his bat-like wings.

Except for her roommate, Chloe had never seen a demon up close.

They looked human for the most part, but all of them had something… off about them. Most of the demons seemed to either have tentacles popping from random places across their bodies or had a slimy appendage in place of an arm or leg. Two more had spikes covering parts of their bodies. One male, standing stoically near the back, was bare chested. One of his arms and half of his chest appeared to be rotting away.

And, standing between two demons with tentacles curling around their shoulders, was what appeared to be a heavily pregnant human woman. “You may as well come down, baby angel. I’m afraid you’ll find our bolts can pierce you just as easily as they pierced our King.”

Chloe looked down at Lucifer. He was lying face down on the ground, looking at her with panic in his red eyes. When her gaze caught his though, he schooled his expression into one of calm arrogance and gave her a small nod.

She stamped down her fear, held her chin high, turned her eyes to red and descended to the ground. She locked eyes with the human and gave her a cold stare. “You must be Lilith.”

“And you must be our new,” she gave a small smirk, _“Queen.”_ Snickers sounded out from the demons standing next to Lilith.

Chloe crossed her arms in front of her and flared her wings wide. For the first time since landing, she was grateful that Maze and Lucifer had insisted that she change clothes. At least she was dressed like someone who could stare down the Mother of Demons. “I am. What’s the meaning of this, Lilith?”

Lilith arched a thin eyebrow. “We just wanted a little chat.”

“And you thought that the best way to get an audience with your king was by shooting him with a crossbow?”

The corner of Lilith’s mouth drew up into a smirk. “You’re new here, baby angel. I’ve been here for millennia and your boyfriend is a stubborn ass. He’s easier to deal with when he’s got a bit of Hellforged steel in him.” Lilith stepped forward and pushed at the bolt in Lucifer's left wing. He didn't wince, or allow pain to cross his face. He only released a low, bone vibrating growl.

Chloe wanted to run to him. She wanted to pull the demons off of him, hold him and tell him that he was safe, but Hell’s words from earlier rang through her head. _You cannot afford to look weak._

"If you were trying to make a good first impression, Lilith, you've failed."

Lilith smirked. “You’re so beautiful, baby angel. That kind of beauty doesn’t last long here. You’ll flee, like all of the other pretty little things that have come to this realm. You don’t belong here.”

The demons surrounding Lilith broke out in a chorus of insults. “Beautiful little bird,” one said insultingly. “I’d love to cut her pretty face, then she’d fit in,” said another.

Pulling herself up high, Chloe let her voice ring out. "I will not flee."

“Oh, but you want to, don’t you, pretty baby angel? You want to go back to your soft bed in your soft world.” 

_You cannot afford to look weak,_ Chloe thought, even though she wanted nothing more in that moment than her bed, some hot tea and a good book. Swallowing down her fear, Chloe took a step closer to Lilith. "I have no quarrel with you, Lilith. Call off the demons that you've riled up and go back to whoever's bed you were warming. Let this end, and I won't make it my personal mission to make your life miserable."

Lilith grinned and stepped on Lucifer's delicate wing membrane. "What can a sweet little blond angel do to the Mother of Demons? My children are loyal to me." Lilith flicked her wrist and a dozen crossbows moved from Lucifer's prone form to point at Chloe.

Lucifer's eyes rolled shut and a second later, his prayer came into her head. _I'll make a distraction. Get out of here._

Chloe shut her own eyes and prayed back _I'm not leaving you._

She felt Lucifer's exasperation through his next prayer _Go. I can fight them better if I don't have to protect you._

Her blood ran cold at this. Even now, now that she no longer made him bleed, she was still making him vulnerable. She was still someone he had to _protect,_ not someone who could act on her own. Hell was right. Lilith was right. She wasn't enough. She didn't _belong_ here. She couldn’t torture, and she was all but useless in a fight without a gun. And even now, Chloe still managed to make Lucifer vulnerable. She was a liability to him, not an asset. She failed him. Again.

_Get ready, Detective. 3...2…_

And with a mighty roar, Lucifer burst up, fire crackling down his red skin. The demons holding onto him jumped away from the flames. Lucifer grabbed the demon closest to him around its neck and squeezed.

It's head detached from its body with a sickening squish. 

He dropped the head and turned towards the two demons closest to him, a feral grin on his face. Lucifer lashed out with his wings, slicing two other demons across their stomachs, spilling intestines and turned towards Lilith, a merciless smile spreading across his scarred face.

Instinctively, Chloe stumbled back.

"Capture her!" Lilith screamed as Chloe scrambled away from the Devil.

Arms and tentacles wrapped around her legs from behind, squeezing her tight. A crossbow fired again, its bolt skimming her side, ripping her leather halter and drawing blood. On pure instinct, Chloe flared her wings, knocking one of the demons off her legs. The second had tentacles instead of arms. Chloe lifted off the ground and the tentacle-armed demon lost his grip on her leg and fell to the ground. Another bolt lodged itself into her upper arm, causing her next wingbeat to falter as she lost altitude.

"FLY!" Lucifer roared. At the same moment, a prayer arrived in her head. _I’ll be fine. Get out of here. Get back to the throne. Find Karazmikeen._

More crossbow bolts flew in her direction. Her fight or flight reflex kicked in, and, hating herself for leaving him, Chloe flew.

Moments later, she landed on the throne of Hell and slammed her hands down on the center armrest. As soon as she opened her eyes into the void, she pleaded, “Hell, please. You have to help me save him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will probably not be a chapter next Monday. I'm going to be glued to my TV next weekend :) As of right now, it's 4 days, 1 hour , 24 minutes and 43 seconds until season 5 drops! Happy binging, Lucifans!


	4. Tested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe goes through a change.

Chloe could see nothing in the void, but she knew that she wasn’t alone. After seconds turned to minutes, she called out into the blackness. “Hell?”

Only silence greeted her.

A blue shimmer appeared in the void in front her. It eventually formed into a shape. Lucifer was standing, his bat-like wings pinned wide behind him. As she stepped closer, she saw that they were being held in place by chains attached to the bolts still piercing his wings. His legs were chained to the floor, and his arms were cuffed above his head.

_ “Lucifer!”  _ she called out, running to him, but at her touch, the form dissolved into blue mist. She turned around in the darkness. “Where is he? Hell! Help me save him!”

The tall copper-haired form of Hell appeared from the darkness beside her. “He is being held in Tarzoth’s manor. I will not assist you in retrieving that which you lost, Chloe Decker.”

Chloe balled her hands into fists and puffed her wings. “You sent us into a trap,” she hissed through gritted teeth.

“I did no such thing. I sent you to Karazmikeen.”

“Who you neglected to tell us was working with Tarzoth.”

“He isn’t. You and the King were correct. Karazmikeen remains loyal.”

“So why was he with the person who has Lucifer chained up like a piece of meat?”

“His business is his own. Karazmikeen would have listened to the King. He will not listen to an angel.”

“Lucifer is an angel.”

“Lucifer is the King. He is of this realm as much as he is of Heaven. Angels do not have the ability to understand this realm. They see it as merely a pestilence to be contained. The distrust the demons hold for the Host runs deep, and Karazmikeen in particular has lost much to your winged brethren.”

“So how do I get him to trust an angel?”

“You can’t. So it is to your benefit that you’re not quite an angel.”

“Because I started out as a human?”

A touch of mirth spread across Hell’s regal features.. “You were never human, Chloe Decker. You just inhabited a human body for a time.” Hell took a few steps forward, idly running her fingers through the mist that had previously formed the shape of Lucifer. “It was my idea to create you. Did the King’s father tell you that?”

“No,” Chloe said, “He made it sound like it was his idea.”

Hell’s lips twitched with the ghost of a smile. “That doesn’t surprise me. That arrogant old fool loves taking credit for everything. After the King's father forced the King to fall, his body was ruined, a burnt husk, unable to move, barely alive. I infused him with a bit of my essence, with Hellfire, and he formed himself into what he sometimes calls his Devil Form. That was a form the demons learned to fear and respect, as it was twisted and imperfect, as were they. With time, he gained the ability to change back into his angelic visage. Angels control what happens to their own bodies to an extent, as I’m sure the King has explained to you. But, without the influx of my essence, he would still be the broken lump of flesh that first fell to Hell. When I created you, with help from God and Goddess, I infused that same essence into your very being. You’re not quite an angel, Chloe Decker. You’re something more.”

“An archangel? Like Lucifer?”

“No, not quite, but the comparison is valid. The King and Michael are different from the rest of the Host. That’s what allowed them to shape Earth. It’s what allows the King to rule here. It would have allowed Michael the same leeway if he hadn’t been an idiot about the whole thing," Hell scoffed. "As they are different, so are you. All three of you are angels, but also something more. Michael and the King were gifted additional power over the realms from their parents. You were gifted additional power over the realms by me.”

“Okay, so how is that going to help me save Lucifer?

Hell gave her a small, knowing grin. With a twist of her fingers, Hell formed the blue mist into three identical orbs. “My siblings and I were without form in the beginning.”

“Lucifer's being tortured, and you're giving me a history lesson?

"Patience, Chloe Decker. To understand who you are, you must first understand who I am."

Letting out a disgruntled sigh, Chloe waved at Hell to continue. "Tell me about you and your siblings, then."

"You know my brother as Heaven, my sister as Earth and, of course, I am known as Hell. It was us that created God and Goddess, and God and Goddess created the Host, along with the Elder Demons and humanity.” The three orbs shifted and changed, the one at the top changed into a shape that she knew: the gates of Heaven. “My sister and I were content to live in peace with each other, but my brother has always felt that he was above us. My sister is calm and steady, where I am passionate. She wanted to acquiesce to his rule, I did not. We created the God and Goddess as a proxy. Let the two of them fight it out so that my sister could rest away from our brother. I wanted her to be happy. But, as beings began to inhabit us, they changed us, and we were unable to stop it. Our plan had unforeseen consequences. Creating the proxies gave them power over us, and their offspring continue to exert that influence to this day. But, my brother was smart. He shaped the edges of his realm in such a way that only those that he deemed worthy were allowed in, keeping him ‘pure,’” Hell said with a sneer. “But our creations are immortal, as are we. Earth only allows them limited time in her realm, and they must go somewhere once they leave her realm. Therefore, all those that my brother deemed unworthy came to me.” 

"Guilt. He didn't want anyone with guilt."

"Exactly." Hell took the third orb and shifted it into the central city of Hell. “My first residents were the 13 Elder Demons, then Lilith, then Lucifer, then the first of the Lilim, then guilty human souls. I did not choose to be a realm of eternal torment, but I am what they made me to be.”

“So change it."

Hell shook her head. “I cannot. Not anymore. But you can.”

Chloe took a step back, shaking her head in shock. “You expect me to, what? Reshape you into something a bit nicer?”

“Yes.”

“And you planned this all out with God?   


“Yes.”

Chloe turned from Hell, gazing out into the black void. “He offered me a choice in Heaven. Was that real?”

“Yes. You could have chosen death at that moment.”

“And what would have happened to your master plan if I’d done that?”

“We would have to find another. We do not control what you do, Chloe Decker. We gave up that ability when we gave life to God and Goddess. We gave them free will, and that was passed along through the ages to you. We were all very pleased that you chose the path you did. It is time for change, and, because of your choices, you now have the ability to make that happen. You will make Hell better, for me, for the demons, and for the human souls contained within my realm.”

“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

“You’ve already started. You freed a soul named Kassie Carlton. You brought laughter and love into me for the first time in millenia, and those changes have already begun to radiate out. There’s something beautiful and pure about you, Chloe Decker, but I am in you too. And, to succeed, you need to draw on both your own goodness and the infernal power that rests within you.”

“My eyes.”

Hell smirked. “It’s not just your eyes.”

Chloe stared at her for a moment, the sneers from the demons calling her a pretty little bird ringing through her mind. Maze flat out told her that she wasn’t scary enough, and even though Lucifer didn’t say as such, the implication was there. “Hell, can I change more about my appearance than my eyes?”

“Changing your appearance is the wrong way to look at it. Embracing your infernal side is closer. You need the infernal to control the demons, as you need your remaining humanity to free the souls kept within me that deserve to find peace. Embracing the infernal, though, will have… external ramifications, yes.”

Chloe took a shuddering breath as she considered Hell's words. “Will I be able to go back and forth like Lucifer?”

“You will be able to mask your infernal form to allow you to fit in with humans, yes.”

She looked down at her hands, pure, clean, and human. A horrible thought came to her mind. Quietly, she spoke that thought to the being that apparently helped to bring her into existence. “Hell? Have I spent my entire life wearing a mask?”

“You have.”

“But Lucifer said that both of his forms are real.”

Hell shrugged. “The King was created as an angel first. Infernal power was given to him later. So, yes, in a sense, both of his forms are real. But you were born with my fire in your veins. It has always been a part of you.”

Chloe clenched her hands into fists, another terrible thought occurring to her. “My daughter. Will she… is she different too?”

Hell shook her head. “You daughter is human. We created your mask well. Like all humans, she will go to Heaven or Hell when her time comes, based on the guilt that she holds in her soul.”

Trixie would be okay. This burden wouldn’t fall onto her shoulders because of an accident of her parentage. Trixie was human. 

And Chloe wasn’t. She never had been. She’d never felt like she fit into her own skin because it wasn’t really hers. Her eyes remained on her hands as she opened and closed her fists. But not her fists. Because this wasn’t her. Not an angel. Not a human. Something else. Fear coursed through her. Fear of the unknown. But, behind that wave of emotion came a resignation. A peace. She was going to burn, but she would emerge forged, not burnt. She knew it.

“Hell, please tell me who I am.”

The form of Hell took her hands, stilling their motion. “You are Chloe Decker. Mother to Trixie. Daughter to John and Penelope. You are a Detective with the LAPD, a friend to many, and the one who taught the Devil how to love. You have a good heart and a pure soul. That is what will sustain you down here. But you are also an angel, infused with infernal power. That is what will allow you to change Hell for the better.”

Chloe raised her eyes to Hell, they were filled with tears, yet also triumph. “I am the Queen of Hell.”

Hell gave her a small, almost maternal smile. “Not yet, but you will be. You’ll be tested, Chloe Decker. I’m sorry, but you must be before you take your final steps. And your first test comes right now.”

“Saving Lucifer?”

Hell’s smile turned wry. “That’s the second test. Your first one is a yes or no question. Simple, really, but also difficult. Are you ready for your first test?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chloe answered. “I am.”

Hell nodded, pulling her to her feet. “Here is your question then, Chloe Decker. Are you ready to become who you were meant to be?”

Before her mind’s eye, she saw Trixie, newborn, resting in her arms. She thought of her mistakes, removing her top on screen, allowing herself to be gaslit by Dan, getting engaged to Pierce, betraying Lucifer. Her joy came next, late night dinners in the lab with Ella, dancing under golden confetti with Lucifer, seeing her daughter grow and change. And finally her triumphs, getting justice for her father, solving the mystery of Palmetto Street, all of the victories she’d won for the families of countless homicide victims, accepting Lucifer.

And maybe even accepting herself.

She took one look down at her hands again. Her human scars were gone, hidden by an angelic fascade. But as she stroked a finger along the spot on the back of her left hand, which once held the physical proof of a poor decision, she knew that she was making the right one now.

“I am.”

Hell stroked a hand through Chloe’s hair, a fond expression crossing her face. “I worked long and hard on your form, Chloe Decker. I hope you like it.” The she leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Chloe’s forehead.

A point of heat flashed into her head at the contact, slowly radiating out through her mind. It focused into two points at the top of Chloe’s head and burned brighter as new nerves began to fire. Chloe tried to reach up to feel what happened, but Hell grasped Chloe’s face between her hands. “Wait, Chloe Decker. It won’t take long.” Hell pulled her in close then and ran a sharp nail across the back of Chloe’s leather pants, ripping the seam above her tailbone. Chloe felt the heat in the bones at the base of her spine. It lengthened them as it burned through her.

Pressure began to grown in her boots, and Hell took her sharp nails along the sides, slicing the knee high boots from Chloe’s legs, allowing her feet to break free. 

As Hell stood again, Chloe noticed that she no longer had to look up as far to see the being’s face. Where before, Hell stood over a foot higher than her, now it was only a matter of inches. The fire sparkled across her skin then narrowed down into the tips of her fingers before it left her body.

“It is done, Chloe Decker.”

For a long moment, Chloe stared into the eyes of Hell, afraid of what she would find if she looked at her own body. Hell’s expression shifted from the quiet confidence and arrogance that she often seemed to wear into a hint of worry. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to wear it, but take a look.”

Chloe took a deep breath before letting her eyes fall to her hands. The skin was the same red as Lucifer’s but smooth, lacking his ridged scar tissue. The last joint of each finger was replaced with a wicked looking four inch black claw. Chloe gave a stuttering gasp at the sight, and Hell broke in, sounding worried. “I made them retractable, so that you may still have use of your fingers.”

“Like a cat?”

“A bit more advanced than a cat’s, but the concept is similar. Your angelic nature allows you certain leeway over your outward appearance.” Hell took one of Chloe’s clawed hands in her own and stroked the back of her fingers. The clawed tip retracted into a thick black fingernail. “Do you feel how it worked?”

She nodded and brought her free hand up in front of her face. With the slightest flex of muscle, the claws retracted. Another flex brought them back to their full length. Chloe pulled her other hand from Hell’s grasp and retracted all ten of the sharp claws, bunching her hands into fists. “Do you have a mirror?” she asked in a whisper.

Giving a nod, Hell waved her hands, causing the blue mist to again solidify into a flat reflective surface. Chloe took a shaky step forward, then another, until her reflection came into view.

Her facial features were still the same, down to the beauty mark beneath her eye, but her face was the same smooth red as her hands. Her hair was thick and black, cascading in waves down her back, and emerging from her forehead were…

"You gave me horns?"

Hell shrugged. "I find the human conception of the devil's appearance to be somewhat humorous, I must admit."

Chloe raised a hand to the two 6-inch horns, brushing a finger against the base. The motion brought a small shiver of pleasure through her body, "They're sensitive," Chloe muttered.

Hell gave a small chuckle. "Touch your tail." Chloe twisted then to see a red tail coming from the hole that Hell had made in her pants. It was rounded and smooth, like the tail of a large cat. "In the future, it'll be able to go through your clothes, just like your wings." Hell ran a fingertip down the top of the tail, giving Chloe another shudder of pleasure.

"Are all my new body parts erogenous zones?" Chloe asked, suppressing a groan.

"Your breasts are larger too," Hell said, pointing to the ample cleavage displayed by the now too-tight halter top.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Lucifer will be pleased."

Hell scoffed at that. "He's a leg man. Speaking of," she pointed at Chloe's feet, which resembled those of a velociraptor more than a humans, "those should make you faster on the ground than your old ones."

"They get claws too?"

"You're a bird of prey, Chloe Decker, and you'll have your fair share of battles in front of you. I wanted to give you a bit of an advantage."

Chloe's eyes returned to the mirror. The only things that were unchanged about her appearance were her glowing red eyes and her fire-colored wings. Chloe spread her wings wide behind her as she gazed at her reflection. She waiting for the same fear to arrive as she'd felt when she first saw her angelic reflection, but it never came. Because, at that moment, Chloe realized…

"This is me." She turned away from her reflection and looked into the eyes of Hell. "This is who I'm supposed to be."

Hell gave her a small smile and a nod. "Very good, Chloe Decker. Now it is time for you to rescue the King."

Chloe took a step forward, shifting her weight as she had when she still had human feet. Immediately, she tripped over the big claws at the end of her toes, and flared her wings out to keep from falling. Chloe turned towards Hell, embarrassed. 

“The new feet may take a bit of practice,” Hell said apologetically.

Chloe rolled her eyes and brought her hands together in prayer.  _ Lucifer, I’m coming. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, season 5a, I loved you so! I'd like to add here that this story is NOT canon compliant after episode 4x02, and I've got a five story arc plotted out in my head. I'm not going to attempt to work s5a into this story at all. 
> 
> Welcome back and thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and suggestions are always welcomed and appreciated! Thanks for reading!


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